Visa section of Pakistani consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif reopened

Visa section of Pakistani consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif reopened

Kabul (Agencies): The Pakistani consulate’s visa section in Afghanistan’s northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif has been reopened.

The consulate’s visa section was closed on Sunday after an Afghan woman was caught trying to enter the building with a hand grenade hiding in her bag.

“Today, the Pakistan Consulate General in Mazar-e-Sharif was closed when an Afghan woman was caught trying to sneak a hand grenade into the consulate in her personal bag,” Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement.

“Pakistan Consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif will remain closed for visa services till the provision of foolproof security by the authorities in Mazar-e-Sharif to prevent any untoward incident in the Consulate General,” according to the FO.

It said the woman was arrested by the police and investigations are on to find the perpetrators of the failed attack.

The Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul urged the Afghanistan Foreign Office to provide fool-proof security to its Consulate General in Mazar-e-Sharif and to share the findings of its investigation at the earliest.

Munir Ahmad Farhad, provincial governor’s spokesman, was quoted by Afghan news agency TOLO as saying that the woman, who he did not identify, is in police custody and an investigation is under way.

Last year, Pakistan’s Consulate in Jalalabad remained closed for several weeks due to security reasons.